Centrelink

Centrelink is the government office responsible for the Australian social security system.

It organises payments for students, the unemployed and low socio-economic groups. People have to go into the Centrelink offices to hand in forms, have interviews about on-going payments and to sometimes organise job interviews.

On any given day, if you go into the offices of Centrelink you'll run into a group of bewildered, hungover and skanky students (of which I am one), unemployed down-trodden men and women and lost-looking Centrelink first-timers. The lines are ultra-long, a lot of people don't use deoderant, and no-one likes to have to beg for money from the government. It isn't the best part of the day for anyone.

Today I had to go to the office in a part of the city which is known for it's high crime rate and high occurance of mullet hair cuts and flannel shirts (flannos). It added even more fun to my experience as I was standing behind one of the colourful locals who was informing all those around him that he wasn't going to f*cking come in every f*cking week and tell these f*cking c***s what he was doing, he had enough trouble with the missus at home...

Ah yes, Centrelink fun. I love my fortnightly forays into that wacky office. I would like to live there...

On my last visit to Centrelink, the Australian social security government agency, I couldn't help but notice the modern, colour-coordinated fitout of the office. After looking at the inhabitants of such an institution (yes, I am referring to the clientele) and comparing them to the staff and their work environment standards, I began to wonder what level of equality the Australian government wished to stop at in regards to their plans of actually assisting their clients off social security payments and into the workforce.

While overseeing the interviews taking place with the Newstart Allowance recipients and the accompanying abusive conjecture, I picked up various payment brochures to have a browse through while waiting to submit my fortnightly form at the Forms Lodgement desk.

The government supposedly has an "action plan" to eventually eliminate social security and promote a higher rate of employment in the community.

Now I'm no economics expert, but when I see a single mother with a couple of children eligible to receive a payment much lower than the standard cost of living, with a father that has disappeared into the unknown and therefore does not pay any child support - I begin to wonder where this family, and many others in similar situations will find their way out of such a financial and social dilemma.

Perhaps a review of how the social security system is structured is long overdue.